The streamer Jerma985 is creating huge, surreal productions for hundreds of thousands of viewers on Twitch. After his latest big show, a baseball game between clowns and magicians, we ask how-and why?

Reports of the death of the thumbs-up emoji have been greatly exaggerated. Or maybe not. In any case, let's consider how emojis, like words, can be interpreted in many different ways.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with Mike Sykes II, author of The Kicks You Wear newsletter, about what Nike's crackdown on sneaker resellers and bots could mean for fans hoping to buy shoes at retail.

As protests in Iran continue into their fifth week, we hear from a protester in the country's Kurdish region where the government has been violently cracking down on dissent.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with Dr. Matthew Durstenfeld, co-author of a new study looking at the effects of long COVID on a person's ability to exercise.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with April Ryan, White House correspondent for TheGrio news website, about her book "Black Women Will Save the World," a tribute to Black women in America.

Police in Stockton, Calif., say they've made an arrest in connection with a series of shootings, six of them fatal, that began last year.

At least four people have died, and more than 60 were injured in a fire at Iran's notorious Evin prison, where political prisoners are held.

A look back at the legacy of the video game Mortal Kombat as it turns thirty this year.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with Allison Grealis <>, president of the Women in Manufacturing trade association, about the growing number of women who have entered the industry.

OPEC Plus countries dealt a blow to the Biden Administration's hopes of keeping gas prices down, with just a few weeks to go before the midterm election.

President Biden's stark warning about the "tactical" nuclear weapons Russia might use is raising fears of a new crisis. But what are these weapons and how might they be used?

Director Mike Flanagan was recognized for the tremendous number of jump scares in his new show The Midnight Club. But he isn't a huge fan of them to begin with, he tells NPR.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with Democratic New York Congressman Jamaal Bowman about the RAP Act, which would bar the use of music lyrics as evidence in court proceedings.

Russian forces struck Zaporizhzhia, in a region of Ukraine Russia claims to control, after yesterday's explosion that damaged a critical bridge linking Russian-occupied Crimea to Russia.

In a twist, one case before the U.S. Supreme Court this term involves Andy Warhol and 1981 photo of the musician Prince.

50 years ago - Elektra Records asked one of its talent scouts, guitarist Lenny Kaye, to create a double compilation album. That album "Nuggets" laid the groundwork for punk.

The Federal Reserve is trying to slow down the economy just enough to get rising prices under control, but not so much that a ton of people lose their jobs. It's a tough balance.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to Amnesty International's Indonesia Executive Director, Usman Hamid about the soccer stadium stampede that left at least 125 people dead after police teargassed the crowd.

NPR's Ayesha Roscoe asks Washington Post reporter Bethonie Butler about the popularity of true crime stories and the ethics of the genre.